Date:05/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/05/stories/2009070555911400.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Ashwin steals the show

Coimbatore: Ashwin Sundar won the opening race of the premium class, the Formula Rolon, amidst challenging conditions in the third round of the JK Tyre National racing championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam, near here, on Saturday.

The young Ashwin built up a sizeable lead in quick time. But, with barely three laps to go, his car started to emit heavy smoke.

It was at this juncture that Ashwin showed a cool head, kept the car under control and moved on bravely to take the chequered flag.

Infringements

The Formula LGB Swift class witnessed a lot of drama from the start. No sooner did the race begin, Chetan Anand of Wallace Sports went off the track and out came the yellows flags. But the race went on. At the end of it all, the stewards hauled up a dozen drivers for interrogation and expelled seven of them for an infringement of ‘speeding and overtaking’ under the yellow flag.

Vishnu Prasad, Akhil Devarag, K. Prasanth and Sudarshana Rao (all TVS Girling) were among the drivers to pay a heavy price.

The results (Race 1):

Formula Rolon (15 laps): 1. Ashwin Sundar 17:30:491; 2. Saran Vikram 17:33:261; 3. Shankar Narayanan.

Formula Swift (15 laps): 1. Goutham Parekh 20:23:838; 2. Gokul Krishna 20:44:224; 3. J. Mitra 20:50:745.

Super saloon (15 laps): 1. B. Vijaya Kumar 19:00:797; 2. Radha Selvarajan 19:05:992; 3. Sailesh Bolisetti 19:17:655.

Super bikes (10 laps): Experts: 1. Emmanuel Jebaraj 11:53:659; 2. Vivek Pillai 11:54:682; 3. Gopinandan 12:26:480.

Super bikes (novice): 1. K.V. Balaji 12:24:894; 2. Sumit Lucas 12:59:370; 3. Alisha Abdullah 12:08:603 (one lap less)

Super bikes (1000cc): 1. Alok Sashidhar 12:28:093; 2. Sanjay Kumar 12:02:947; 3. Ramji Govindarajan 12:24:251.